Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

The mayor will have an opportunity to take the bull by the horns and to say this is a national strategy and we have the opportunity to get rid of an incinerator. That would be a clear power.

Deputy Hogan asked why the Minister will not wait until 2014. Within six months of the establishment of this new office, the mayor has to set out a strategic plan and, after two years of operation, there will be an opportunity to examine the powers, review them, see if more powers are needed and, if so, in what areas. If one started this process in 2014 when a new constituent council is elected, it would not make sense because the office would not be up and running until halfway through the mayoral term and people would not be able to get a grip on it. It makes much more sense when the election is held next year for the mayor to set out his or her stall and have it finely tuned in order that when the first five-year mayoral term begins in 2014, everyone will know the powers, positions and opportunities that exist.

The opportunity is available to provide for proper planning. I mentioned the issue of where development should take place or where Dublin Port should be located. FCC proposes to move the port further up the coastline. Does that make sense? There was a major issue in the media recently about a retail park in Dún Laoghaire. Was that a good decision? Perhaps, members of South Dublin County Council, SDCC, or FCC want to put a conference centre on some of Jim Mansfield's land. A mayor would consider all these issues and recognise that the hub of software development is in the digital hub in the city centre but our pharmaceuticals expertise is in south Dublin. Our greatest tourism potential is in south Dublin and Dún Laoghaire, our market gardening centre is in Fingal and there are cultural and heritage sites throughout the county. How do we strategically manage them? If four councils are competing against each other, that means additional costs.

Having clarified the issue of the running costs of the mayor's office, I refer to the opportunities for savings. The McLoughlin report on local government estimated that up to €40 million could be saved through greater efficiencies in this sector. In the context of the current public service debate, it is not unfair to say that may involve a number of job losses but, crucially, it will create an opportunity to deploy staff where they are best needed rather than each council having a set complement. A mayor could oversee that in consultation with county managers and the regional authority and move staff around. For example, SDCC, of which I am a former member, has six litter wardens trying to cover illegal dumping and a multitude of litter problems. We, therefore, need more litter wardens and higher fines and we need to ensure the cost of running the service is met through fines. The mayor could examine this in consultation with the constituent councils. A proposal could then go to the Minister about national fines for littering. It could well be that there are too many employees and, in that context, some would have to be redeployed or lose out in the current economic climate. That is where the mayor could save money.

The issue of transport was mentioned. Deputy Clune referred to the Dublin Transport Authority and National Transport Authority, NTA. The NTA considers the national issue. Much as we like to think it, Dublin is not an independent city state that tells the rest of the mullahs what to do. That is not the way it operates. Dublin is part of Ireland. It may be the capital city and the commercial centre but, at the same time, transport must be planned on a national rather than a regional basis. In that context, the mayor can never control the authority. However, he or she will chair the Dublin transport council and will have great power. For example, Dublin City Council manages most of the traffic operations, including motor taxation, on behalf of the other local authorities in Dublin. With the input of the mayor, the existing powers of the city council could be expanded and issues such as congestion charges, if deemed necessary, or other specific proposals to enhance transportation within the region could be set out. The powers may be relatively limited, as stated by other Members, by dint of the mayor not being in charge of a national body but he or she will be the only directly elected representative of that stature on the Dublin transport council and on the national body. Representing more than 1 million citizens, he or she will have great clout and if her or she is not listened to, nobody will be listened to.

The mayor could provide for greater coherence in the provision of waste and water services. There were water shortages in parts of Palmerstown, Clondalkin and Lucan earlier this year because Dublin City Council was taking water from the SDCC area because it controls the water supply in the greater Dublin area. In a fairer system, there would be a fairer way to allocate water throughout the city and county. Those living in the three county council areas feel they are not considered to be part of Dublin because Dublin City Council rules the roost and controls how things go. I hope the new mayor will ensure the county is represented in an integrated way. An audit of sports facilities could also be beneficial in attracting international events such as the Olympics, which Deputy Mitchell has mentioned on a number of occasions. That is something a mayor could push successfully, similar to the mayor in Barcelona. Tourism is another area in which a coherent strategy could be employed. Dublin has a great deal to offer other than the Molly Malone statue, Trinity College and the GPO. Significant attractions are not being marketed properly because Dublin is not seen as an entity in its own right.

This new position presents the best opportunity for job creation. Industrial units throughout the city and county are under-utilised. They can become centres for incubation and development of new business opportunities. There is an opportunity through the mayor's office to ensure rates are maintained at a reasonable level. This is why the proposal is supported by the business community in Dublin. Businesses see the office as a way to make Dublin more attractive for business and creating jobs. Industrial units could be targeted in a better fashion and used where they are vacant as art hubs. As I indicated in the committee dealing with the arts last week, there is under-used potential in the city and county which the mayor could co-ordinate, which is the idea.

The mayor will not be a panacea for the ills of the economy or Dublin but the position will not be a damp squib if the right person with the appropriate political experience and understanding of planning and other issues is involved. The unelected county and city managers will be instructed where to go if they do not find the proper strategies by dint of the popular mandate of the mayor. That is important. Councillors often complain they have no power over local authorities and are overruled by managers but now is the time for a mayor to indicate to a manager how Dublin will operate. If the manager does not like it, he or she can lump it.

I hope people will continue to contribute to the mayor for Dublin website and send in ideas that can feed into legislation. This legislation is not finished and even when the mayor is in office the Act will be reviewed after two years. It will be a work in progress but we should have the vision to get it started now rather than pooh-poohing a good idea for political expediency.

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